SHOPPERS will see the landscape of Crewe town centre transformed after a £200m revamp was approved by the borough council.

Developer Modus has been given the green light to demolish and rebuild a 160-acre chunk of the town.

As part of the plans a new shopping complex will be built with a large Debenhams as its flagship store and a new bus station with shops.

Development will take place on the site of the Crosville Club and Delamere House council offices which are to be demolished.

New offices will be built behind Municipal Buildings on the covered area of the outdoor market. The market will be extended to take in the Lyceum car park but more than 800 spaces will be included in the shopping development.

A total of 200 apartments and townhouses will be built alongside Chester Street and Queensway.

The scheme will shift the focus of the town with a new covered 'High Street' linking Victoria Street and Chester Street.

Modus' designs, as revealed by the Chronicle in June, are expected to bring an exciting new dimension to the town's shopping centre.

Consultation found that the public believe the development will attract more people to the town, rejuvenate its night life and go a long way towards ridding it of a 70s image.

Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council leader Brian Silvester said: 'This development will reaffirm Crewe's place as one of the major retail centres in Cheshire.

'It is a really exciting time for the town economically and aesthetically.' The authority has overwhelmingly backed the plans and it is hoped the work will be completed by 2010 although there is no official date set for the work to begin.

Objections and concerns have been raised, mainly regarding the effect on existing retailers while the work is done.

Rachel Bailey, portfolio holder for Planning, said: 'I believe this is a fantastic opportunity for Crewe and its public.

'There will of course be small disruptions to businesses during the development but we will work closely with the developers to ensure this will be minimal.

'It is important to get the message out that during this development Crewe will be still very much open for business.'

Modus has been asked to chip in £500,000 towards the completion of the Flag Lane link road and £50,000 towards a traffic study for the town.

It will also be required to contribute up to £350,000 towards news signs and CCTV.